Scriptural Lenses for Cultural Viewing

Note: The following post is my rambling of an answer to the question below. It is for a class I am taking called Intercultural Communication. God's Word is the only concrete absolute in our universe; it informs all cultures and can be changed by none. We should be biblical absolutists. Yet, we should always strive toward being cultural relativists. How? Why? Can something be right in one culture and wrong in another? Is there a purely Christian culture in the world today that all others should seek to imitate? Scriptural Lenses for Cultural Viewing Here is the obvious: cultures are different and varying, but Scripture is unchanging and perfect. Scripture then is to be the glasses which culture is viewed through. In order to determine right and wrong within any given culture we must go to the word of God. The Bible is to be the light upon our path as we walk along the diversity of today’s cultures. Yet, somewhat ironically, the Bible is never alone. We interpret Scripture and because we exist in a specific context our interpretations will be tainted by that context. This is not a denial of Sola Scriptura but an affirmation of our (and the Bible’s) historical situated-ness. We do not exist in a vacuum and we must also affirm that Scripture was written in history. Indeed, even the Word made flesh was born into history, born into a specific cultural context. Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” Are we trapped then, drowning in the pit of postmodern relativistic despair? By no means! Let’s rehash first: Scripture is to inform and stand over culture, yet inescapably culture informs and helps define our understanding of Scripture. Thankfully, we are not left doing hermeneutical donuts in the snowy mix of postmodern flakiness. I believe Grant Osborne has offered an immensely helpful way out. Instead of the never-ending hermeneutical circle, Osborne argues for a model, which he calls, The Hermeneutical Spiral. Given this approach you are able to move from text to context (culture in our case). A spiral is a better metaphor than a circle, “because it is not a closed circle but rather an open-ended movement from the horizon of the text to the horizon of the reader” (Osborne, 6). There is marked progress. He continues: I am not going round and round a closed circle that can never detect the true meaning but am spiraling nearer and nearer to the text’s intending meaning as I refine my hypotheses and allow the text to continue to challenge and correct those alternative interpretations, then to guide my delineation of its significance for my situation today. So why is this important for understanding the relationship of culture to Scripture? Culture and Scripture exist in a symbiotic relationship each informing and interpreting the other. Scripture interprets culture and we are able to view the cultural worldview through scriptural lenses. Likewise, our culture helps us understand Scripture. As Scripture and culture interplay off of each other they do not go back and forth in a circle, but both of them spiral together toward the truth of Scripture’s intended meaning and its specific cultural application. The more Scripture and culture mesh together the closer to the truth they will come in applying Scripture to culture. After all, theology is just simply “applying scripture to life” (John Frame). Thinking about the incarnation is helpful in providing a deeper-rooted understanding of culture in relation to Scripture. Here, at the point of the incarnation, the Word and culture met. Christ, in taking human form, entered into our cultural-historical context. He did not just assume the body of a man, but entered and became involved within culture. Christ, the Lord of the universe partook in many aspects of the culture at that time (washing of feet, feasting at weddings, reading and debate in the synagogues, etc.). He even died through a means of cultural torture and death. At that time it was a cultural means of death for a crucifixion to be carried out. Yet, he also stood out against culture. He condemned many practices of the Pharisees, which conflicted against Scripture. He even talked with a Samaritan woman. He dined with tax collectors and sinners. For Christ, the foundation and lens of viewing culture is the Word of God. In using the language of Grunlan and Mayers, it is in Christ where "Biblical Absolutism" and "Cultural Relativism" meet.

De-evolution at London Zoo

Human beings are on display at the London Zoo. The sign on their cage reads, "Warning: Humans in their Natural Environment." Yes, they are in a cage and apparently wearing little clothing. So, just why did the London Zoo put three men and five women on exhibit? Polly Willis, the spokeswoman for the Zoo said, "Seeing people in a different environment, among other animals ... teaches members of the public that the human is just another primate." One of the participants, 26-year-old Tom Mahoney is quoted as saying, "A lot of people think humans are above other animals. When they see humans as animals, here, it kind of reminds us that we're not that special." Mahoney and the seven other “primates” are being treated just like the other animals complete with keepers, but they are allowed to go home at night. While attempting to emphasis the evolutionary worldview the Zoo actually (unwittingly) is left arguing for a form of de-evolution. In hoping to tie humanity back to the apes they end up, for the sake of argument, reversing the evolutionary growth of humanity. Humanity is returning to the apes. Well, I have to admit that there is some merit to their evolutionary thinking here. Sinful men and women who reject their creator and sustainer actually become so corrupted that the image of God, which they were stamped with, becomes more and more defiled. Those caged beasts are trading the truth of God for a lie. Here the sane words of Scripture: Psalm 8:4-9 What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Romans 1:20-23 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. With darkened hearts, God has given them over to every form of corruption and defilement. Sinful humanity has de-evolved from the place God intended. Now we are left only a little higher than the apes.

Killing in the Name of Science

In The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) a team of doctors has argued that babies (fetuses as they call them) probably do not experience pain until at least the 29th week of gestation. The paper argues that the nerve connections in the brain are not complete enough until that time in order to feel and experience pain. Well here are some of my scattered thoughts based on the New York Times article. On the JAMA website it is stated that the context for this research is due to the federal legislation that would require doctors to tell woman that after 20 weeks the baby will feel pain and they will recommend anesthesia for the child. The doctors wanted to determine what developmental age a child actual began to feel pain. The research itself is very sketchy. They used as a basis for their research other writings, whether journals or various medical reports of child pain and the like. So they are basing their conclusions solely on what others wrote? Let’s face it – they are “writing” for the choir. Pro-abortion doctors arguing (seeking) for legitimacy to their taking of unborn life. I guess abortion doctors have to provide job security as well. Dr. David A. Grimes, a former head of abortion surveillance at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had a help admission to this debate. He said, "This is an unknowable question." Dr. Grimes still performs abortions in North Carolina but he is content to say, "All we can do in medicine is to infer." So inference is their best hope for children not feeling pain. I have to wonder in the back of my mind if this research is performed for the purpose of alleviating the guilt, which doctors and nurses must experience after taking active roles in the murder of unborn children. Dr. Mark A. Rosen, an author of the journal article and chief of obstetric anesthesia at the University of California, said that we should base our decisions upon “evidence, scientific evidence, not our emotional beliefs." He believes that the evidence points to no pain in unborn children up to the 29th week of pregnancy. Part of the problem is that whenever you raise any objection to such inhumane practice you will simply be dismissed as arguing from emotion and not the facts. This fails to realize two things: First, facts are interpreted. The question then becomes what interpretive framework are you working from? Are you a secular naturalist who sees humanity as simply an evolutionary primate or are you a Biblical Christian who sees all human life created and shaped in the image of God? This matters in understanding the facts. Facts can often go both ways, and they do. Secondly, is it always wrong to argue from emotions? I don’t think so. Emotions are an integral part of our life. They cannot be separated from reason so easily as scientists seem to think. Dr. K. S. Anand, a pediatrician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, offered the most sage advice even though he is not against abortions. He said, "In the first trimester there is very likely no pain perception. By the second trimester, all bets are off and I would argue that in the absence of absolute proof we should give the fetus the benefit of the doubt if we are going to call ourselves compassionate and humane physicians." What a great concept – giving children the benefit of the doubt. But if this were to take place then abortion would be illegal. There are just too many questions to have absolute certainty. Therefore if we were to give the benefit of the doubt then abortion would be over. Even Dr. Rosen, one of the articles authors, admitted that we couldn’t know 100% whether the child does or does not experience pain. Well then, if this is so should we not give the unborn children the benefit of the doubt? Wouldn’t this be compassionate medicine? This surely is the more humane road. Another thing that I just don’t get is this – why give a child who is about to be brutally murdered anesthesia? I guess this is the humane and compassionate way to commit murder. Sadly, abortion is not going away any time soon. In America alone 1.3 million lives every year are snuffed out before they even come out of the womb. My initial reaction is that God would send his quick and swift judgment upon abortion practitioners. However, the more I thought about it the more I realize that they are desperately in need of God’s grace. While God would be glorified whether he sent out judgment or salvation it would nonetheless bring great glory to him to bring many abortion doctors and nurses to Christ. Imagine doctors who once committed abortions now decrying the practice and arguing from a Christian perspective against abortion. We certainly can and must pray for this end. UPDATE: Derek Thomas and the Guys at Reformation 21 will be blogging about this from a theological and pastoral point of view all next week. You will definitely want to see what they have to say regardless of what side of the debate you fall down on.

In the Cause of Freedom

Today I realized that I do not pray for and thank enough those men and women who fight for the cause of freedom throughout the world. Hundreds of thousands of young men and women have died for our country in this century alone. I remain way to forgetful of their sacrifice. As a small token of my thankfulness to those who now serve our country I quote the following, which is just as applicable today as it was nearly 230 years ago. Thanks to them I remain a free man.

Your exertions in the cause of freedom, guided by wisdom and animated by zeal and courage, have gained you the love and confidence of your grateful countrymen; and they look to you, who are experienced veterans, and trust that you will still be the guardians of America. As I have the honor to be an American, and one among the free millions, who are defended by your valor, I would pay the tribute of thanks, and express my gratitude while I solicit you to continue in your present honorable and important station. I doubt not America will always find enough of her sons ready to flock to her standard, and support her freedom; but experience proves that experienced soldiers are more capable of performing the duties of the camp, and better qualified to face the enemy, than others; and therefore every friend of America will be desirous that most of the gentlemen who compose the present army may continue in the service of their country until “Liberty, Peace, and Safety” are established. Although your private concerns may call for your assistance at home, yet the voice of your country is still louder, and it is painful to heroic minds to quit the field when liberty calls, and the voice of injured millions cries “To arms! To arms!” Never was a cause more important or glorious than that which you are engaged in; not only your wives, your children, and distant posterity, but humanity at large, the world of mankind, are interested in it; for if tyranny should prevail in this great country, we may expect liberty will expire throughout the world. Therefore, more human glory and happiness may depend upon your exertions than every yet depended upon any of the sons of men. He that is a soldier in defense of such a cause, needs no title; his post is a post of honor, and although not an emperor, yet he shall wear a crown – of glory – and blessed will be his memory!

Excerpt taken from the New England Chronicle, signed simply “A Freeman.” Winter, 1776. Quoted in David, McCullough, 1776. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005; pp. 62-63.

United Way and the Gospel

In work today we had the mandatory United Way meeting. All the big companies have them. When I worked at UPS we had to go and now while at Target. They say it is their way about caring for the community. It sounds like a lot of PR to me. In those meetings you watch a stirring video, replete with needy children, which lets you know what an impact you can make on your own community. It is very simply an emotional appeal. And it often works. Many people sign up to give a dollar a week or sometimes even more. After all this helps ease their sin-stricken conscious. Many see it as a way to “be good”; to work or in this case buy their way to heaven. But of course this doesn’t work. Even if they sacrificed their whole paycheck they would not reach eternity with Christ. Yet, sadly it has the effect of easing their troubled hearts. It makes them feel better about themselves. It makes them believe that they are good persons. The Gospel speaks otherwise. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All good works are mere filthy rags. There is no one who is righteous not one. A dollar a week does not get one into heaven. Only by the power of the gospel, the work of Jesus Christ, will people be saved. Another thing struck me about United Way. Why is there even a United Way? There shouldn’t be. To me this only highlights the failure of the Church. The United Way is doing the mission of the Church. It is the Church, which should be taking care of the sick, poor, and needy. Widows, orphans, the homeless, and the abandoned elderly, etc. are to be taken care of the Church, not the United Way. Sadly, the Church has failed to live out what James calls pure and true religion. I pray that the Body of Christ will begin to care for this world again. Lastly, I just wanted to briefly note why I will not be giving a dollar a week out of my paycheck. There are a few reasons why I will not support the United Way. First, as a Christian I believe it is an irresponsible use of God’s money. There are much better organizations to give to. How about Voice of the Martyrs or Samaritan’s Purse to name a few. Secondly, I will not support the United Way because of their muddy relationship with Planned Parenthood (there are other organization of which I am not that happy about either, but Planned Parenthood is the most obvious). Their website says that their money does not support abortion yet still millions of dollars is given each year to Planned Parenthood. Their website states: “No United Way funds are currently used, or have ever been used to support abortion services.” Maybe not directly, but they still support abortion organizations who service abortions. Their relationship is just to muddy for me. It is my hope that one day the Church will grow into such a gospel-caring community that the United Way will become unnecessary and pass away.

Loss of Gospel Power

If the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), why then does it often seem powerless? There is certainly nothing in the gospel itself, which is diminished or weakened over time. But we must sadly confess that our hearts often grow cold and lifeless to its power. I have drifted in and out of this state for some time now. I continually remind myself that the gospel is powerful and it is the only means of hope, the only means of salvation. But all too often I am not convicted, challenged and encouraged by its message. I came across a good answer to this question in an unlikely place. I have been reading Paul Little’s classic work on evangelism entitled, How to Give Away Your Faith. At one point he is discussing how our lack of evangelism and withdrawing from it actually produces spiritual harm. When we do not share the gospel we often stifle ourselves spiritually. He writes, “When we see no evidence of [the Gospel's] redemptive power, the gospel begins to seem less real” (24). When we fail to see demonstratively the power of the gospel we tend to loose sight of the reality of its power. We forget what it is like to share Christ with someone. We fail to remember the passion we once had after we accepted Christ, or the passion displayed by new believers. We have forgotten the miracles of the Lord and have traded them in for the mundane. We continue to profess the gospel but we have failed to live it out. When the gospel looses its power we need to experience it again. We need to feel the nervous excitement of sharing its truths with the lost. We need to feel its power as lives are transformed. We need to see those who are weary and heavy-laden finding rest in Christ. We need to put the gospel into action. We need to revive its power and might before our eyes. We need to witness salvation as from the Lord. May the Lord take our fledgling understanding of his gospel and revive our hearts with its demonstration in our lives and the lives of others – only then will the power of salvation be clearly seen.

Not conducive to the public good

Sheik Omar Bakri Mohammed has finally been kicked out of Britain. After preaching much violence and hate, which includes praise for the 9-11 attacks on the U.S., the Syrian Cleric was barred from ever returning to England. Before a "vacation" in Lebanon the Sheik had lived in London for the past 20 years after being granted political asylum by the British government. His presence in London was ruled as "not conducive to the public good." No kidding! So there is a level to tolerance! Those who preach hate and jihad against the infidels (i.e. westerners) will be dealt with. It always amazes me that such people mock and criticize the very system, which provides refuge and stability for them to offer such criticism.

Caffeine Conflict

This is why I prefer Dunkin Donuts. :)

Private Examples of Godliness

The church is struggling with sharing the gospel. Hundreds of evangelism methods have been developed and hundreds of them have either failed or passed away. So, how are we to share our faith with those steeped in postmodern culture? Will the four spiritual laws work anymore? Even more so, will the traditional methods of track distribution, revivals, and door-to-door evangelism still hold water against this ever-skeptical post-Christian culture?

Methods will cease and fads will pass away but one thing remains: our private example of godliness. How are we to share the gospel? By living the gospel! This does not negate the necessity of proclamation but it nonetheless is a form of preaching through practice. It is not just proclaiming the message, but living the message by becoming the message.

Ichabod Spencer, a Brooklyn pastor during the mid-nineteenth century, was well aware of what many postmoderns are in need of today. In his Pastor’s Sketches he recognized the power of being a “private example of godliness.” The best witness to the gospel is a demonstration of the gospel. He wrote:

It is true that infidelity cannot withstand the force of reason and argument; but true godly example can come nearer the life-spot of religion. It knocks at the door of the heart. If the truths of Christianity were seconded by the devoted and pious lives of all her professed disciples, the unbelief of the world would soon cease. Private example of godliness is what the world most needs (Ichabod Spencer, A Pastor’s Sketches, Vol. 1. Solid Ground Christian Books, 2001).

Nagasaki

On August 9, 1945 another nuclear bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki killing an estimated 74,000 people. Here is a fascinating article from the New York Times, August 9, 1945. Here is the news article on Hiroshima.

Southern Baptist Math

Tom Ascol, at Founder's Ministries Blog is doing some number crunching on the SBC. I am no math whiz - failed Algebra twice, but this math is simple addition and subtraction with a little bit of fractions thrown in. What is he discovering? Statistics taken from the SBC Annual Church Profile list that there is a total SBC membership of 16,287,494. Out of the 16 + million people there is just over 6 million who attend Sunday morning services. Here is the math: 6 million people amount to about 37% of 16 million. So within the SBC there is only a 37% attendance rate of those who are listed as members. Here are some of Ascol's conclusions:

What this means is that the typical Southern Baptist church baptizes lots of people who simply do not hang around long enough even to become regular Sunday morning attenders. Jesus talked about the change that must take place in a person's life before he can enter into or even see the kingdom of God. He spoke of that change in terms of birth. The analogy of birth tells us much about the nature of the change. A birth is followed by a life, except in those tragic cases of stillbirths. But under normal circumstances when there is a birth, we can expect there to be signs of life--eating, crying, breathing, growth and development. Where such signs of life are nonexistent, you can be sure that something has gone horribly wrong.

Are SBC churches producing millions of spiritual stillbirths? It certainly appears so. Ascol is right, it is time we rethink evangelism. Southern Baptists need to ease off the baptism calculators and start thinking more seriously - more theologically - about missions and evangelism.

Hiroshima – 60 years today

At 8:15 am on August 6^th 1945 the Enola Gay dropped “Little Boy” the first nuclear weapon to be used in an act of war. Hiroshima was obliterated. It is estimated that 100,000 to 150,000 died instantly, being evaporated by the nuclear blast. In the years to follow at least another 50,000 to 100,000 died from radiation poisoning and the effects of the blast. Nine days later the Emperor of Japan surrendered and World War II was over.

Personally, I wrestle back and forth over whether this bombing was justified. Thousands were dying in WWII and an invasion of the Japanese mainland most likely would have brought hundreds of thousands of more deaths. Yet, does the end of the war justify the means used to end it? Is Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified in the lives that were saved? This is the paradox of the atomic weapon. In destroying countless lives, countless others were saved.

Regardless of whether one sees the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as wrong or not, as Christians we must always remember them. We must remember the lives that were lost and we must remember the lives that were saved. Most importantly we must see this event as a reflection of the sinfulness of humanity. Hiroshima is a logical outworking of our wretched condition. Apart from Christ, life is hell. Without a Savior those who are facing eternal damnation will face an eternity of Hiroshimas infinitely worse than anything imaginable. Yet, for those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ there is hope even in Hiroshima. Christ is to be found in the despair of this life. And because of his coming into this world there is now hope and life for those who believe.

The message of Hiroshima is one of sin and misery. But the good news of Jesus Christ is that within that sin and misery there is hope and life, even in the midst of Hiroshima.

Baptist Covenant Theology Conference

Founder's Ministries will sponsor an upcoming conference on Baptist Covenant Theology. The Southern Baptist Founder's Conference Southwest will be held from September 22-24, 2005 at Heritage Baptist Church in Mansfield, TX. The two main speakers will be Dr. Fred Malone and Dr. Jim Renihan. Here are some of the topics (click here for the schedule): The Hermeneutics of Baptist Covenant Theology Our Covenant-Keeping God The Founders of the SBC and Covenant Theology The New Covenant Baptism This should be a wonderful conference. Of course, I will not be able to attend, but I look forward to listening to the tapes.

The Destroyer of Worlds

Tomorrow - August 6th 2005 marks the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. Below is a review I wrote of Martin J. Sherwin's A World Destroyed: Hiroshima and its Legacies.

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki forever changed the world landscape. The Nuclear Age came to be and a new god arose out of the ashes. The atomic bomb and nuclearism (the worshipful embrace of atomic weapons) came to rule the world in the vacancy left by the Second World War. The bomb and atomic energy came to be viewed as deity because in the words of Robert J. Lifton, "what other than a deity could be capable of destroying the world?" "But a deity also must be capable of ruling and protecting the world, even of keeping the world going?" (From the foreword). The bomb was embraced with both fear and wonder as that of a deity capable of both governing and destroying the world in a single action.

It is this deity's rise to power, which is here chronicled by Martin J. Sherwin. The complex political history is detailed from the beginnings of the Manhattan Project to the destruction of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Offering a fair treatment of all involved Sherwin provides the political backdrop to the creation of the atomic legacy, which continues to this day.

In this work he deals with the scientists' struggles with the military and subsequent use of their work toward military ends. These "soldiers out of uniform" began the race for the atomic bomb against Germany yet towards the end of their work many became increasingly aware of the moral ramifications for unleashing such a devastating device upon humanity. The burning question which continually came up to both scientists, political advisors and the world leaders involved (FDR, Truman, and Churchill) was, "What role would the atomic bomb take in the postwar world?" This question often failed to illicit response and only came to its answer after the destruction of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Sherwin spends much time on the relationship of the Soviet Union (Stalin) to the bomb. In the end the choice was to not let the Soviets in on the secret of S-1 (the military designation of the bomb) and Sherwin highlights how many saw this as negatively affecting the postwar relationship between an already fragile wartime cooperation between England, the United States and the Soviet Union. While Truman sought to use the bomb as leverage (at the Potsdam Conference) against both the Japanese and the Russians it seems to have worked for the Japanese but failed for the Russians. Japan surrendered shortly after the bombing of two of its cities, but the Soviet Union became hardened to the U.S. and American-Soviet relations quickly deteriorated. Could the Cold War have been averted if Roosevelt and Truman only included Stalin in on the knowledge of the bomb?

The atomic bomb brought about the end of the Second World War but brought about the beginning of the arms race and new war of nuclearism. While it was meant to be a means of peace during the war, the atomic bomb became a means of clouding the future of the postwar world. In conclusion, Sherwin quotes Henry Adams whom a century before the bomb wrote, "Man has mounted science, and is now run away with."

This book provides an immensely helpful pathway into the politics surrounding the creation and use of the atomic bomb. Unfortunately the scientific dimension of the creation and use of the bomb is lacking. Nonetheless this book is useful for understanding the political climate of the time and for also setting the backdrop to the Cold War and future American-Soviet relations. It is a good read, which would have been enhanced with some pictures of the key players, maps of the important places, and photographs (carefully chosen) of the subsequent devastation of the bomb.

While the political ramifications were effectively highlighted and questioned the moral issues while often raised were not adequately dealt with. While this is not a book on ethics it would have been interesting to explore the ethical legacies left from the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Sherwin does note that the majority of the political leaders never thought twice about using the bomb against Japan. I do not recall Sherwin connecting this at all with Pearl Harbor and I wonder what connection (if any) existed between the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the unquestioned use of the atomic bomb against Japan. It would have been worthwhile to explore further the ethical/moral impact, which the bomb had on the world and world leaders. Not much is dealt with after the bombing and because of that I was left somewhat disappointed.

Overall this is an excellent work, which details the political backdrop and milieu of the creation and use of the atomic bomb. It raises important political questions, which need answers. It unfortunately does not raise moral issues as such a topic should, but then again the purpose of the book was to show the political events surrounding the bomb. Nonetheless one wonders if the political arena and the moral arena can be separated. What is clear is that a new deity was created and released, one that continues to govern this world and strike fear in the hearts of nations, one with the power to destroy the world.

Total Depravity in the News

I often tell others that the best way to teach about Total Depravity is to read or watch the news. It is impossible to go away from the average news cast thinking that people are morally good. A 27 year old man was shot and killed in an apparent act of road rage. He was taking his 10 month old daughter out of her carseat when he was gunned down. Thankfully the child was unharmed, physically... And then CNN reports a deathly discovery of a few hundred bodies of babies stored in jars in a hospital in Paris. France has a law that a child's body must be cremated within 10 days after the child's death. Dr. Pierre-Marie Cousin, president of the union of gynecologists and obstetricians, said, "The fact that the burial or cremation of these stillborn babies wasn't carried out is perhaps negligence, but not a moral problem." Not a moral problem!!! What!?! Our world is deathly sick and desperately in need of THE Savior.

Complete Founder's Response to Lemke & Welch

I wanted to bring all of the material written by Tom Ascol in response to Steve Lemke together under one post. So here it is:

First Response Second Response Third Response Final Observations Response to Lemke's Letter

I am not so sure if all the issues were cleared up, but I do appreciatte the spirit of the dialog. The debate over Calvinism is a debate within Christianity. We must remember that we are challenging brothers and sisters in Christ. Such argumentation must be done in a spirit of humility and graciousness. A few quotes from Ascol:

The leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention should recognize that many churches and pastors--especially younger pastors--in the convention are growing very weary of the lack of authenticity that comes through in their touting of numbers, largeness and programs. It smacks of triumphalism and a growing number are finding it increasingly off-putting. If SBC leadership wants everyone to jump up and down about the prospect of baptizing a million people in the next 12 months, then first convince us that you are willing to speak honestly about the ten million who have already been baptized but rarely, if ever, even show up on a Sunday morning in our churches.

As a young potential pastor this quote is dead on. I often become very discouraged with the SBC's insistence on numbers and the doctrinal childishness so often played out by its leaders.

The bloated statistics of the SBC are a veneer that conceals serious doctrinal and spiritual problems. It is time for Southern Baptists to drop the facade and to confront the problems directly, with humility and submission to the Word of God. This is not a Calvinist issue. This is a Christian and Baptist issue.

Again, it is a number problem! Regenerate church membership must be recovered. Thank you Tom Ascol for your work in continually defending the doctrines of grace against this barrage of silliness.

Called to Monasticism?

Still searching for the answers to life? Are you struggling to fill an empty void within? Do you want more to this life than what you currently have? Do you have purpose and meaning? Maybe you are called to be a monk.

The monks of Portsmouth Abbey have found answers to these questions in the Rule of St. Benedict… Could this be the answer for you? We invite you to experience a week of prayer, work, rest, and recreation in our Monastic Life Experience Program for single, college educated, Catholic men, 21-45 years old, who wish to spend some time considering a call to monastic life. This call may be for you! See http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/ for more information.

Even monks have a try before you buy program…

Scripture and the Public School System

I always have found the debate over religion and the public school system as doomed from the beginning. It does not seem that it is a battle, which Christians are capable of winning, let alone a battle that Christians should even be fighting. Yet, the battle continues and I am afraid that if any religious tolerance is granted it will only allow a watered down and meaningless presentation of the Christian faith.

There is now raging a debate in Odessa, TX over the use of a Bible study course curriculum. The curriculum is developed and promoted by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools. The following is posted on the Councils website:

The curriculum for the program shows a concern to convey the content of the Bible as compared to literature and history. The program is concerned with education rather than indoctrination of students. The central approach of the class is simply to study the Bible as a foundation document of society, and that approach is altogether appropriate in a comprehensive program of secular education.

A few thoughts: First, the Bible cannot be compared to other great books of literature and history. If it is relegated to a mere historical or literary book than the message of the Bible is dead. Rather, the Bible is the book of life or judgment to those who accept or reject its message. Secondly, the claims of objectivity are just downright impossible. Just what is the fine line between education and indoctrination? The public school system fails to realize that they do more than just simply provide objective education. The entire system indoctrinates. Whether they realize it or not they are brainwashing children with their own religion – secular humanism. This battle is not one of religion verses objective education, but one of two religious worldviews clashing against each other. Lastly, if the approach to studying the Bible is “appropriate in a comprehensive program of secular education” then it can be nothing more than a gospel-less, watered down message of the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I for one certainly don’t want this kind of curriculum in the public school system. Once the Bible is made into another book of history or literature taught appropriately for the public school system than its message is already lost.